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Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster)

Rakali is a large, semi-aquatic native rodent found beside permanent water across Australia. On clearing and construction sites, it may be missed because it is shy, mainly nocturnal and often remains in the water, but works can damage its bankside burrows, riparian cover and feeding sites. Conservation status varies by jurisdiction, including Priority 4 in Western Australia and Rare listings in South Australia and Tasmania. In Queensland, it is protected wildlife where classified as near threatened, and interference with a breeding place may require a species management program.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Near threatened. Priority 4 (rare, near threatened) on the Western Australian priority fauna list. Priority species are not listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 but should be considered in assessments.

Breeding season

Rakali can breed at any time of year, with most breeding recorded from spring to summer. Mating and breeding activity may begin in late winter, and timing can vary with region, food supply, water conditions and climate.

Breeding mode: Live-bearing mammal. Females raise young in burrows or nests in logs and bank tunnels.

Litter size: Usually 3 to 4 young, with up to 4 to 5 young reported.

Gestation: Approximately 34 days.

Young dependency: Young are suckled for about 4 weeks and remain with the mother for a further 4 weeks while becoming independent.

Age at maturity: Females may breed from 4 months, usually from about 8 months. Some regional information reports breeding from about 1 year.

Breeding frequency: Usually 1 to 2 litters per year. Up to 3 litters per year are reported when conditions are favourable.

Breeding sites: Burrows or tunnels in low river banks, and nests in hollow logs. Artificial pipes, drains, rock piles and similar shelters may also be used.

Timing may shift between years and regions with rainfall, water permanence, food availability and local conditions; in Western Australia, Priority 4 status supports targeted checks and protection of riparian habitat, banks, logs and safe trap designs rather than assuming absence from a single survey.

  • Breeding and mating: Breeding can occur year round, but activity is most often reported from late winter or spring through summer.
  • Births and dependent young: Births and dependent young may occur in any month, with the greatest likelihood following the main spring to summer breeding period.
  • Juvenile dispersal: Young disperse after about eight weeks, but no fixed seasonal dispersal period is established, so check banks, logs and dense vegetation year round.
  • Nocturnal and crepuscular activity: Rakali are active throughout the year, mainly at night and around sunset and sunrise, so use nocturnal spotlighting and water facing cameras for detection.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is late winter to summer, when breeding, births and dependent young are most likely, but pre-clearing checks remain appropriate year round because breeding can occur at any time.

Identification: Appearance and size

Rakali is a large native rodent adapted to swimming and underwater hunting. It is usually seen at the water's edge, on floating objects or crossing quietly through the water, rather than moving like a typical land rat.

The body is streamlined, with a flattened head, broad blunt muzzle, small eyes and small ears. The nostrils sit high on the nose, and long whiskers surround the face.

The back may be black, brown or grey. The belly ranges from white to orange. The tail is dark, thick and muscular, and usually has a distinctive white tip.

The hind feet are broad and partly webbed. The coat is dense and water repellent.

Useful identification feature: A large semi-aquatic rodent with a white-tipped tail, partly webbed hind feet and a broad, whiskered muzzle.

  • Head and body length: about 23 to 37 cm.
  • Tail length: commonly about 23 to 33 cm.
  • Weight: about 0.3 to 1.3 kg.
  • Total length may reach about 70 cm.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Rakali has no echolocation system. Calls are not a dependable field identification method, and survey teams should rely on direct views, photographs and signs.

It can be mistaken for an introduced rat when seen briefly. Its larger size, aquatic behaviour, partly webbed hind feet and white-tipped tail help separate it from terrestrial rats. Platypus may occur in the same waterways, but has a very different body shape and swimming profile.

  • Do not identify a brief dark shape in the water from colour alone.
  • Use several features together, especially body size, swimming behaviour and the tail tip.

Identification: Field signs

A V-shaped wake along the edge of a waterway is a useful sign when an animal is swimming. Rakali often feeds on exposed logs, rocks, floating platforms and low bank surfaces close to the water.

Feeding middens may contain remains of fish, crayfish, mussels, crabs or other prey. Scats and food remains may be on floating objects or partly hidden from the bank.

Burrow entrances and grass-lined nests can occur in low, vegetated banks. Signs may be difficult to see where banks are steep, eroded or densely vegetated.

  • V-shaped wake close to the bank.
  • Prey remains or a midden on a log, rock, platform or sheltered bank.
  • Scats on exposed objects near water.
  • Burrow openings or grass-lined nest material in low banks.

Distribution: Australian range

Rakali is widely distributed around Australia wherever suitable permanent water remains. The national range can look continuous on a map, but local populations may be sparse or absent after clearing, pollution, salinisation or drying.

Rakali occurs in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It occurs in freshwater, brackish and some marine settings, including rivers, wetlands, estuaries, coastal islands and sheltered beaches.

In Western Australia, records include the south-west, the Kimberley, the Darling Range, the Swan Coastal Plain and parts of the Pilbara coast and offshore islands. Local losses have been reported in degraded and salinised waterways, including former wheatbelt wetlands.

  • Search all permanent and semi-permanent waterways within or beside the work area.
  • Include drainage swamps, irrigation channels, artificial water bodies and urban wetlands where riparian cover remains.
  • Check nearby downstream and upstream habitat because individuals may use several kilometres of waterway.

Distribution: Overseas range and local connectivity

The species also occurs in Papua New Guinea, Indonesian West Papua and nearby islands. In Australia, home ranges commonly extend along about 1 to 4 km of waterway, although the area used varies with habitat and population density.

A work site may therefore form only part of an individual's range. Assess the connected waterway, bank vegetation and nearby refuge features, not just the construction footprint.

  • Map continuous banks, wetlands, backwaters, billabongs and connecting drains.
  • Record barriers such as culverts, weirs, cleared banks and long dry reaches.

Distribution: Listing context

Rakali is profiled as an EVNT species in this field guidance. The jurisdictional position differs across its range.

Western Australia lists it as Priority 4. South Australia and Tasmania use Rare listings. In Queensland, near threatened animals are protected wildlife, and tampering with a breeding place may require a species management program. The species is not listed under the Commonwealth EPBC Act or Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 according to the cited Queensland guidance.

  • Confirm the current state listing before works begin.
  • Seek advice from the relevant state wildlife agency where a breeding place, bank or wetland may be disturbed.
  • Apply a precautionary approach at occupied sites, even where the local legal listing is lower.

Habitat: Waterways and wetlands

Look for rakali beside permanent water with stable banks, dense low vegetation and structures that provide cover or feeding surfaces. The most useful habitat is usually close to the water's edge, although animals can travel overland between nearby feeding and shelter sites.

Suitable habitat includes natural rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, dams, billabongs, backwaters, irrigation channels, drainage swamps and constructed water bodies. Rakali also uses brackish estuaries, mangroves, coastal wetlands, sheltered beaches and breakwaters.

Permanent water is especially important for shelter, breeding and access to prey. Check isolated wetlands and artificial water bodies if they retain water and have suitable bankside cover.

  • Permanent or deep refuge pools.
  • Creek margins and backwaters.
  • Billabongs and wetland islands.
  • Estuary margins and sheltered coastal water.
  • Artificial dams, canals and drainage areas with established bankside vegetation.

Habitat: Riparian structure

Preferred river margins often have low, dense riparian vegetation less than 1 m high, with limited overstorey canopy. Vegetation provides shade, concealment and protection from predators.

Stable, lightly eroding banks are suitable for burrows. Woody debris, rock ledges, rock banks and floating logs provide cover, resting places and feeding surfaces.

  • Sedges, grasses and low shrubs along the bank.
  • Dense ground cover with gaps leading to the water.
  • Stable low banks with roots or embedded woody material.
  • Logs, rocks, platforms and wetland islands near open water.

Habitat: Site inspection

Inspect both banks where safe, including upstream and downstream of the proposed work area. Search the water edge, low banks, logs, rock piles, drains, pipes and culverts.

Use nocturnal observations because rakali is difficult to detect during the day and may stay underwater when approached. Record habitat condition even when no animal or sign is found.

  • Map burrows, middens, feeding surfaces and bank vegetation before clearing.
  • Check whether proposed access tracks, dewatering, piling or bank works could isolate the water from nearby cover.
  • Treat occupied habitat as connected along the waterway rather than as a single point location.

Foraging habitat: Foraging places

Rakali mainly hunts in the water but often carries prey to a nearby exposed surface. Feeding sites can be small and easy to overlook, especially where logs and platforms are surrounded by deeper water.

Look for feeding activity along bank edges, beside semi-submerged logs, on floating platforms, on rocks and on low vegetation within about 10 cm of the water. Natural platforms and floating debris may be used repeatedly.

In regulated creeks, backwaters and billabongs, inspect exposed timber and vegetation as well as the open water. Rakali can range away from the bank while searching for prey.

  • Semi-submerged logs and snags.
  • Floating platforms and stable debris.
  • Rock ledges and rock banks.
  • Low, sheltered bank surfaces.
  • Water edges with fish, crayfish, molluscs and aquatic insects.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding signs

The diet is opportunistic. It includes fish, crayfish and other crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic insects, frogs, lizards, small mammals, waterbirds, eggs and carrion. Plant material is only a minor part of the diet in the detailed Western Australian account.

A midden may contain shells, crayfish remains, fish scales, bones, feathers or other prey fragments. Food remains and scats are more likely on exposed objects in the water than on open ground.

  • Inspect logs, rocks and platforms before moving or removing them.
  • Photograph and map middens, then avoid disturbing them where practicable.
  • Do not assume a clean bank means the site is unused.

Foraging habitat: Survey approach

For an occupied or potentially suitable site, combine nocturnal spotlighting with cameras directed at floating platforms or natural resting surfaces. Downward-facing cameras performed better than forward-facing cameras in the Yanco Creek study.

Live trapping alone can miss rakali. It is less reliable than visual observations and in-water cameras, and trapping must not expose animals to drowning or overheating.

  • Spotlight the water edge at night, including logs, backwaters and bank margins.
  • Use baited cameras facing platforms or natural resting places in the water.
  • For a formal absence assessment, allow about 6 nights of visual surveys, 12 nights for a platform-facing camera, or 2 to 4 weeks of nightly trapping, subject to permits and animal welfare controls.
  • Avoid relying on morning-only searches.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places

Breeding places are usually close to permanent water and may be hidden in low banks or woody material. A burrow or nest can be difficult to confirm, so inspect likely banks before earthworks, clearing and access preparation.

Nests are generally in tunnels dug into low river banks. They may also occur in hollow logs, and grass-lined nest material can be hidden among vegetation near a burrow entrance.

The same bankside habitat may support resting, breeding and feeding. A burrow near water should be treated as potentially occupied unless a qualified person confirms otherwise.

  • Low, stable banks with dense grass or sedge cover.
  • Bank cavities, tunnels and root spaces above the normal waterline.
  • Hollow logs and woody debris close to water.
  • Pipes, drains, rock piles and other artificial cavities near the bank.

Breeding habitat: Breeding period

Breeding can occur at any time of year, but is most common from spring to summer. Some Western Australian information describes mating from late winter to early spring, with young born about one month later.

Females usually breed from about 8 months of age. Litters generally contain 3 to 4 young, and young remain with the mother for about 8 weeks before dispersing.

  • Plan intrusive bank works outside the main spring to summer breeding period where practicable.
  • If works cannot be delayed, inspect and monitor suitable banks immediately before disturbance.
  • Treat a female with young, fresh nest material or a recently used burrow as a high-risk finding requiring site-specific advice.

Breeding habitat: Pre-clearing checks

A pre-clearing inspection should cover the proposed footprint, access routes, stockpile areas, dewatering points and the connected water edge. Check for burrow entrances, nest material, fresh tracks, scats, middens and repeated swimming activity.

Do not block, fill or collapse a burrow during inspection. Mark the location and keep machinery, spoil and people away until the response is agreed with the fauna ecologist and relevant regulator.

  • Inspect at low light or after dark as well as during the day.
  • Use cameras where burrow occupancy cannot be established by sight.
  • Record the bank condition, water level, vegetation and nearby escape routes.

Sheltering habitat: Burrows and nests

Rakali shelters on land but remains closely associated with water. Burrows, hollow logs and artificial cavities can be used for resting and raising young, while logs, rocks and wetland islands provide refuge and haul-out sites.

Burrows are usually in low banks beside rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries or coastal water. Entrances may be hidden by grass and low riparian vegetation, and nests may be lined with grass.

Burrows can be damaged by bank excavation, piling, vehicle access, dewatering, erosion control and changes in water level.

  • Low banks above and close to the waterline.
  • Dense grass, sedge or low shrub cover around an entrance.
  • Rooted banks with cavities and stable soil.
  • Logs or rock banks near permanent water.

Sheltering habitat: Refuge features

Woody debris, rock ledges, wetland islands, floating logs and dense low vegetation can provide cover between hunts. Pipes, drains, car tyres, rock piles and similar artificial structures may also be used.

Retain these features where safe and compatible with the design. Move or remove them only after checking for animals, nests and connected habitat.

  • Leave natural logs and snags in place where practicable.
  • Retain low banks and bank vegetation outside the work footprint.
  • Keep escape access between the water and nearby cover during works.
  • Prevent spoil, fencing and temporary barriers from trapping animals against the water.

Sheltering habitat: Handling and exclusion

Rakali can remain underwater for extended periods and may not be visible during clearing. Use a fauna spotter catcher familiar with semi-aquatic mammals when removing debris, working on banks or dewatering.

Do not relocate an animal or seal a suspected shelter without approval and a site-specific method. If an animal is found, stop the immediate task, provide a clear route to water where safe, and follow the approved fauna management procedure.

  • Inspect pipes, culverts, drains, rock piles and tyres before moving them.
  • Use staged clearing from the water's edge towards retained habitat where the method is approved.
  • Keep open excavations covered, ramped or checked regularly so animals cannot become trapped.
  • Record and report any injury, mortality, capture or breeding-place disturbance.

Threats: Clearing, excavation and hydrology

Rakali can persist in modified waterways, but local populations decline when banks, water quality, prey resources and safe access to air are reduced. Development controls should focus on retaining connected riparian habitat and preventing avoidable drowning or entrapment.

Removing riparian vegetation, hollow logs, rock cover or stable banks can remove shelter, breeding places and feeding surfaces. Bank reshaping, trenching, piling and road crossings can collapse burrows or separate the water from cover.

Dewatering, groundwater extraction, altered flows and prolonged drying reduce permanent refuge water. Plan works to retain water access and avoid rapid changes in water level near occupied habitat.

  • Minimise the clearing footprint beside permanent water.
  • Fence and mark retained riparian vegetation before machinery enters the site.
  • Keep spoil, access tracks and stockpiles away from the bank and water edge.
  • Stage bank works so animals retain an escape route to connected water.

Threats: Water quality and prey loss

Pollution, sediment, salinisation, acidification and eutrophication can reduce prey and degrade waterways. Runoff from earthworks, concrete washout, fuels and chemicals can affect both rakali and its food.

Protect water quality during construction and maintain flow paths through wetlands, drains, creeks and backwaters.

  • Use sediment and erosion controls before soil disturbance.
  • Prevent fuel, concrete, chemicals and waste from entering water.
  • Retain woody debris and aquatic habitat where they do not create a safety or flood risk.
  • Restore disturbed banks with locally appropriate riparian vegetation.

Threats: Traps, pits and artificial hazards

Rakali may enter enclosed yabby, crayfish and fish traps while chasing prey. If it cannot reach air, it can drown. Open pits, pipes, culverts, tanks and temporary barriers may also trap animals during works.

This risk applies even where rakali has not been recorded, because signs are easy to miss and individuals can travel along connected waterways.

  • Do not use enclosed opera house style nets in areas where rakali may occur.
  • Fit approved escape devices, floats, screens or air access to permitted aquatic traps.
  • Inspect traps and submerged equipment at the required frequency.
  • Check trenches, pits, pipes and culverts at the start and end of each shift and before they are closed.

Threats: Predation and listing response

Foxes, cats, snakes, birds of prey and large fish can prey on rakali. Habitat degradation can increase exposure to predators and reduce refuge cover.

Apply a precautionary response at sites with a burrow, nest, midden, repeated wake or camera record. The required level of approval and management depends on the state listing and the proposed impact.

  • Use targeted nocturnal surveys before works in suitable habitat.
  • Escalate confirmed breeding-place disturbance to the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority.
  • For Western Australian Priority 4 sites, retain habitat, monitor occupancy and document local impacts.
  • For Rare listings in South Australia and Tasmania, and near threatened protected wildlife in Queensland, obtain jurisdiction-specific advice before disturbing a breeding place.
  • Stop work and implement the approved fauna response if an occupied burrow, dependent young or injured animal is found.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Rakali are shy, semi-aquatic and mainly active from sunset through the night. Surveys should focus on permanent water, floating or exposed feeding sites, low banks and dense riparian vegetation.

Map permanent and semi-permanent water within and downstream of the work area. Include rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, dams, wetlands, drains, irrigation channels, estuaries, brackish water and sheltered coastal habitat.

Inspect aerial imagery and site photographs for stable low banks, riparian vegetation, woody debris, rock ledges, wetland islands, floating platforms and likely feeding sites. Check records databases and consult local landholders, Traditional Owners, waterway managers and fauna authorities.

Typical habitat: Permanent water with adjacent banks, riparian vegetation and feeding or refuge structures

Home range indicators: About 1 to 4 km of waterway, or 7 to 30 ha in some studies

  • Record water permanence, bank condition, vegetation cover, erosion, salinity, water quality and nearby refuge habitat.
  • Treat records from all Australian states and territories as relevant. Confirm the current state listing and project requirements before work starts.

Survey methodology: 2. Nocturnal visual survey

Conduct spotlight surveys from the bank, a boat where authorised, or suitable access points. Survey from sunset through the night, with particular attention to the first hours after sunset and the early morning period.

Scan the water edge, bank face, logs, rocks, vegetation and floating platforms. Look for swimming animals, a V-shaped wake, eyeshine, feeding activity, middens, scats and burrow entrances.

Most suitable activity period: From sunset through the night, with activity also possible during the day

Absence guidance: Six nights of visual surveys can support absence assessment at 95 percent confidence in the cited study conditions

  • Use at least six survey nights where absence needs to be assessed with high confidence.
  • Avoid relying on morning-only surveys. Record rain, wind, cloud, water level, flow, moonlight, visibility, start and finish times, observers and the length of waterway searched.
  • Do not approach closely or shine lights directly at an animal for longer than needed for identification.

Survey methodology: 3. Camera trapping

Place baited cameras facing floating platforms, exposed logs, natural resting areas or other structures in the water. Downward-facing cameras can outperform forward-facing cameras for this species.

Use cameras through the night and retain images from daylight periods. Identify animals using body size, aquatic behaviour and the proportion of white on the tail tip.

Camera effort for absence assessment: A platform-facing camera for 12 nights can support absence assessment at 95 percent confidence in the cited study conditions

Detection placement: In-water platforms and natural resting areas generally provide better detection than land-based placement

  • Use a platform-facing camera for at least 12 nights where absence needs to be assessed with high confidence.
  • Set cameras where they will not obstruct animal movement or create a drowning or entanglement risk.
  • Record camera position, orientation, height, water depth, bait, deployment and retrieval times, operational nights and independent detections.

Survey methodology: 4. Trapping and field signs

Use live trapping only where it is justified, authorised and supervised by appropriately experienced personnel. Floating platforms generally provide better capture results than land-based cage traps.

Search low banks and vegetation for burrow entrances, grass-lined nests, tracks, scats, feeding middens and prey remains. Check exposed logs, rocks and other feeding surfaces within about 10 cm of the water.

Known trapping issue: A three week trapping session in February 2023 failed to capture Rakali despite fresh footprints and multiple bait types

Activity bias: Capture success has been reported as greatest in autumn and winter

  • If trapping is required for presence, identification or rescue, plan for 2 to 4 weeks of nightly effort because short trapping sessions can miss Rakali.
  • Do not use submerged traps that prevent access to air. Fit approved floats, escape openings or screens, or use trap designs that exclude Rakali.
  • Record trap type, location, depth, checking interval, weather, captures, injuries, bait and release location.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance and site design

Plan works around water and its banks, not just the construction footprint. Avoiding burrows, nests, feeding sites and riparian cover is usually more effective than attempting to relocate animals after clearing.

Retain permanent water, low banks, stable river edges, riparian vegetation, woody debris, rock ledges, wetland islands and known feeding sites. Redesign access tracks, compounds, crossings and drainage where they would remove or isolate these features.

Maintain continuous movement routes along the water edge. Prevent bank collapse, sediment release, dewatering, altered flows and pollution. Keep machinery and stock out of the riparian zone wherever practicable.

Breeding and shelter places: Burrows and tunnels in low banks, and nests in logs or at the ends of bank tunnels

Habitat requirement: Permanent water, riparian cover and stable banks

  • Mark no-go areas on plans and on the ground before mobilisation.
  • Protect burrows, grass-lined nests, logs and bank tunnels from vibration, excavation, filling, piling and vehicle access.
  • Use project-specific buffers based on the bank condition, activity, noise, vibration, lighting and risk of collapse. Have the fauna ecologist document and approve the buffer before work starts.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Approvals, listings and permits

Confirm the current conservation status in the project jurisdiction before clearing. Rakali is not listed under the EPBC Act and is not listed under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992, but the species is treated as an EVNT species in the project context.

In Queensland, confirm whether the work could tamper with a breeding place. Near threatened animals are protected wildlife, and a species management program may be required. Obtain any required Queensland approval before work begins.

South Australia and Tasmania: Listed as Rare, the near threatened equivalent in those jurisdictions

Western Australia: Priority 4, a non-statutory DBCA category for rare and near threatened species needing monitoring

  • Refer the project under the EPBC Act if another protected matter or a significant impact pathway applies. Do not assume that the absence of an EPBC listing removes other approval requirements.
  • Check state permits and conditions for clearing, handling, trapping, capture, release and disturbance. This is especially important in South Australia and Tasmania, where Rakali is listed as Rare, and in Western Australia, where it is Priority 4.
  • Confirm requirements with the relevant state wildlife agency, local government, waterway manager and land manager. Keep approvals, conditions and contact details in the site environmental pack.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey and breeding check

Complete the final survey shortly before disturbance, after the work area and access routes are pegged. Search both banks, the water edge and adjoining riparian vegetation for animals, burrows, nests, middens and feeding remains.

Survey during suitable evening or night conditions. Use cameras or repeat spotlighting where visibility is poor, water is turbid, vegetation is dense or the habitat is difficult to access.

Breeding season: Breeding occurs mainly in spring and summer, although breeding can occur at other times of year

Development period: Gestation is about 34 days, and young may remain with the mother for about eight weeks

  • Extend the search upstream and downstream where the work could affect water quality, flow, bank stability or animal movement.
  • Treat a burrow, nest, den, occupied log or dependent young as an active breeding place until assessed by the fauna ecologist and relevant authority.
  • Do not clear or fill a potential breeding place simply because no animal is seen.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Exclusion, induction and work controls

Install visible exclusion fencing around confirmed habitat and breeding places. Fence lines must not block access to water or force animals towards roads, trenches or machinery.

Brief all workers, subcontractors and plant operators before entry. Show them the species, habitat markers, stop-work process, reporting contacts and rules for traps, pumps, lighting and waterway protection.

Key risk: Rakali can drown in enclosed submerged traps when they cannot reach air

Handling rule: Only authorised and appropriately trained personnel may capture, handle or release Rakali

  • Use fauna spotter catchers with the authority to stop work where required by the approval or management plan.
  • Keep trenches, pits, pipes and open drains covered, ramped or checked at the frequency specified by the fauna ecologist.
  • Remove or modify submerged yabby, crayfish and fish traps so Rakali can reach air.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a slow, staged approach and keep a clear chain of command. Stop work whenever an animal, breeding place or unexpected habitat feature is found.

Clear from the least sensitive area towards retained habitat and water, using the smallest practical work area. Remove loose materials and debris progressively so animals are not trapped.

Use hand tools around banks, logs, dense riparian vegetation, burrow entrances and other habitat features. Keep pumps, generators and machinery away from the water edge unless specifically approved.

  • Complete the pre-clearance inspection immediately before each work area is opened.
  • Inspect open trenches, pipes, culverts, cofferdams, pits and stockpiles at the start and end of each shift.
  • Stop work if water quality, flow, bank stability or access to air is being compromised.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and release

The spotter catcher or fauna ecologist must direct any capture, handling and release. Keep people, dogs and machinery away from the animal and allow it a clear route to water where safe.

Use suitable, secure and ventilated containers for any authorised temporary holding. Keep the animal cool, quiet and dry, and minimise handling time.

  • Do not chase an animal into water, pick it up without authority, or attempt to remove it from a burrow without an approved method.
  • Release a healthy animal as soon as practicable into suitable nearby habitat identified by the fauna ecologist, with access to water, cover and stable banks.
  • Do not move Rakali across roads, into unfamiliar catchments or into occupied territories unless the relevant authority and fauna ecologist approve the action.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Active breeding place or occupied refuge

Stop work and establish a temporary exclusion area if a burrow, nest, occupied log, dependent young or other active breeding place is found. Do not fill, collapse, cut, move or disturb it.

The fauna ecologist must assess the site and contact the relevant approval holder or wildlife authority. Work may resume only when the required approval, buffer and control measures are confirmed.

  • Record the location, structure, evidence of use, animal numbers, photographs and the work activity that could affect it.
  • Retain the feature wherever practicable. If disturbance cannot be avoided, obtain written approval and use a documented relocation or mitigation method directed by the relevant authority.
  • Treat any dependent young or lactating female as a high-risk situation and avoid separation.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injury, mortality and incident records

For an injured animal, stop nearby work and contact the fauna ecologist, wildlife carer, veterinarian or state wildlife authority. Keep the animal quiet and prevent public access while awaiting instructions.

If an animal is found dead, do not move it unless authorised. Photograph it in place, record the location and preserve evidence of traps, machinery, fencing or other hazards.

  • Record date, time, location, observer, activity, animal condition, identification, action taken, release or treatment details and authority notifications.
  • Report any injury, death, unauthorised handling, breeding-place disturbance, trap capture, water-quality event or failure of an exclusion control under the project incident procedure.
  • Keep a daily fauna log, including nil observations and stop-work events.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks should confirm that no animals remain trapped and that retained habitat is still functional. Review incidents promptly so controls can be improved before the next work area opens.

Inspect the cleared area, retained banks, water edge, trenches, culverts, pipes, stockpiles and exclusion fencing after each clearing stage. Check for tracks, wakes, fresh scats, middens, prey remains, burrows and injured animals.

Use cameras or repeat night spotlighting where the pre-clearance survey found Rakali, where visibility was limited or where habitat was disturbed near permanent water.

  • Check that all temporary traps, nets, pumps and exclusion devices have been removed or made safe.
  • Repair damaged fencing, bank protection, waterway crossings and covers immediately.
  • Record the area checked, time, personnel, conditions, findings and any corrective action.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated and treated animals

Confirm the condition and fate of every captured animal. Obtain treatment, release and authority records from the fauna handler or wildlife carer.

Where release is approved, record the release site, habitat condition, distance from capture, time, method and animal response. Do not assume that release confirms long-term survival.

  • Use the nearest suitable habitat with permanent water, cover, feeding opportunities and stable banks, unless the authority specifies another site.
  • Avoid repeated capture or disturbance of a released animal. Use cameras or non-invasive signs to check continued use where monitoring is required.
  • Report animals that cannot be released, die in care or are found again in the work area.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained and rehabilitated waterway habitat where the project has altered banks, vegetation, flow, water quality, lighting or access. Set the monitoring period and methods in the approval or fauna management plan.

Use repeat platform-facing cameras, nocturnal spotlighting and searches for middens, scats, wakes and burrows. Keep methods consistent so results can be compared.

  • Report detections, non-detections, injuries, mortalities, breeding-place findings, trap interactions, water-quality events and corrective actions.
  • Compare post-work results with the pre-work baseline and nearby reference areas where suitable.
  • Escalate unexpected declines, repeated absence from previously occupied habitat or continuing mortality to the project ecologist and relevant authority.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review and close-out

Review every stop-work event, capture, injury, mortality, breeding-place disturbance and control failure with the superintendent, fauna spotter catcher and ecologist.

Update the construction environmental management plan before the next stage if the incident shows that survey coverage, buffers, inductions, fencing, lighting, drainage or trap controls were inadequate.

  • Close out actions with a named person, due date and evidence of completion.
  • Provide required reports to the approval holder, wildlife authority, land manager and client.
  • Retain photographs, maps, fauna logs, permits, approvals and monitoring results in the project record.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore water and banks

Rehabilitation should recreate connected water-edge habitat rather than only replacing cleared vegetation. Rakali respond to water availability, bank stability, cover, prey habitat and safe feeding and refuge sites.

Reinstate natural drainage, environmental flows and water levels where the project has altered them. Prevent sediment, hydrocarbons, concrete washout, chemicals and other pollutants from entering the waterway.

Stabilise banks with natural materials and revegetate with local riparian species. Use staged works where possible so some cover and access to water remain available throughout construction.

  • Retain or reinstate low banks suitable for burrows and bank tunnels.
  • Restore dense low riparian vegetation, including areas less than 1 m high, while retaining some open water access.
  • Remove temporary crossings, hardstands, pipes and fencing that obstruct movement or create entrapment risks.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replace refuge and feeding features

Retain natural logs, rocks, woody debris, rock ledges and wetland islands where they are stable and safe. Replace unavoidable losses with site-suitable natural materials under ecological supervision.

Provide exposed logs, rocks or floating platforms where they can function as feeding or resting surfaces without obstructing flow or creating hazards.

Suitable natural refuge features: Bank tunnels, logs, woody debris, rock ledges and wetland islands

Artificial structures: Generic nest boxes, bat boxes and roost structures are not appropriate substitutes for Rakali habitat

  • Do not install generic nest boxes, bat boxes or artificial roost structures for Rakali. These structures are not a standard replacement for Rakali breeding or refuge habitat.
  • Where a bank tunnel, log nest or other known refuge cannot be retained, obtain site-specific advice from the fauna ecologist and relevant authority before designing a replacement.
  • Keep replacement features close to permanent water and connected to retained riparian cover.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Control weeds and protect water quality

Control weeds without removing all bank cover at once. Use staged weed treatment and retain native ground and riparian vegetation until replacement cover is established.

Prevent fertiliser, herbicide, sediment, rubbish and acid or saline discharges from reaching the water. Maintain stable banks and protect prey habitat, including aquatic invertebrates, fish, crayfish and molluscs.

  • Use local provenance plants suited to the water regime and salinity of the site.
  • Remove litter, abandoned nets and enclosed traps from the waterway.
  • Inspect restored areas after floods, drought, fire, high flows and construction maintenance.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Manage lighting and ongoing access

Keep artificial lighting away from the water edge and retained riparian cover. Use the lowest practical intensity, shield lights downwards and avoid lighting the full width of the waterway.

Restrict vehicle, pedestrian, dog and stock access to restored banks. Maintain safe access for monitoring without opening continuous disturbance routes.

  • Turn off temporary lights when not required and avoid directing lights at burrows, feeding sites, cameras or animals.
  • Design roads, culverts and drains so animals can move along the water edge and cannot enter enclosed structures without an escape route.
  • Include trap safety checks in routine waterway inspections.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring

Monitor restored habitat for bank stability, vegetation cover, water permanence, water quality, prey habitat and Rakali use. Use the same camera, spotlight and field-sign methods as the baseline where possible.

Continue monitoring long enough to cover different water conditions and seasons, with additional surveys after major works or hydrological changes.

Priority management focus: Protect and restore riparian vegetation, stable banks, permanent water, water quality and safe access to air

  • Record camera nights, spotlight nights, detections, wakes, middens, scats, burrows, breeding evidence, mortalities and trap interactions.
  • Use results to adjust revegetation, bank protection, lighting, access controls and trap designs.
  • Maintain monitoring where the species is listed as Rare or Priority 4, where local declines are known, or where the project has removed or altered permanent water habitat.

Sources